my new best friend!

I go for a swim to the local gym as often as I can and after 8 years have got to know a number of people.  Recently a new man has joined who it is not easy to ignore.
He suddenly appears at the end of the pool and stands there stretching his limbs.  He is not a young man neither is he small....he's huge, more than 6' in height and about the same in width!
He stretches out his arms to the side and looks just like the 'Angel of the North!' as he stays for quite a few minutes in that position - this give some people the chance to climb out of the pool and make a hasty exit before
he gets in and causes the tidal wave with his massive frame and his huge arms dipping in and out of the water in the style of a 'crawl'.
He thankfully only swims a couple of lengths before retiring to the jacuzzi for an hour or so, where he sits with his arms stretched out and resting on the edge of the bath whilst trying to engage anyone in conversation.  Yep!  he does irritate me and I admit to have changed my swimming times on occasion in the hope I would avoid him but I felt guilty when I overheard other people saying disaproving things about him and moving away stealthily
so the other morning I said 'hello' to him.  Big mistake ...he's now turned into my new best friend and greets me with a smile and wave whenever he appears (and I try to disappear.  I admit to a feeling of joyful relief when this morning I overheard him (yes! his voice is huge too) telling another man that he was trying to get fit before going in hospital for surgery and as that time had now come he would be missing from our ranks for quite some time.   Phew!